230 Park Avenue, now known as the Helmsley Building, is that gorgeous building on Park Avenue everyone takes photographs of, with the MetLife Building looming behind it. If you are south of Grand Central Terminal, you won’t know it’s there but if you’re looking south, you’ll see the 34-story skyscraper with the ornate cupola atop. With security standing guard, it’s a building that isn’t easy to just walk in and discover but it’s full of history and secrets. We were fortunate to be able to speak with the building’s management team to uncover many of these fun facts.

1. The Area Which Used to be 230 Park Avenue Was a Cow Pasture and Province of Squatters

In the 1870s, as Grand Central Depot (one of the predecessors to Grand Central Terminal) was creating groundbreaking moves in train travel, the neighborhood of 230 Park Avenue still included a province of squatters and a cow pasture. However, Commodore Vanderbilt had a dream.